I Built The Sky

I Built The Sky

I Built The Sky is the instrumental project of Rohan “Ro Han” Stevenson, based in Melbourne, Australia. Stevenson has released self-produced guitar music under this name since 2012. The project draws on acoustic rock, djent, instrumental music, metal and rock, and it is associated with progressive metal and progressive rock.

Style and approach

The music combines complex riffs, fast guitar playing, melodic lead lines and detailed acoustic passages. Stevenson presents the project through guitar-focused compositions rather than a conventional vocal-led band format, although the live set later develops into a full band.

Live work and touring

What starts as a studio project expands into a live act, with early shows supporting acts including Between the Buried and Me, Chon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Monuments, Polyphia, Plini, Intervals, Twelve Foot Ninja and Haken. The project also tours nationally and internationally in support of album releases, including dates in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the UK and India.

In 2017, Stevenson presents a songwriting masterclass at Cal Poly Pomona in Los Angeles. That year, I Built The Sky tours Australia in support of The Sky Is Not The Limit and later supports Caligula’s Horse. In 2018, the project plays a sold-out show supporting Twelve Foot Ninja, launches the single “Celestial” to a sold-out crowd, plays two headline shows in New Zealand, and completes a 23-date tour of Europe and the UK with Caligula’s Horse and Circles.

Releases

The Zenith Rise appears in 2019 and reaches number 8 on Bandcamp’s metal chart, number 13 on the Australian Independent Albums chart, number 20 on iTunes Australia’s rock chart, and number 50 overall. In 2020, The Fire Inside is released and features vocals from Andy Cizek, drums from Andrew Scott, and a guest guitar solo from Olly Steele.

In 2021, Stevenson works with Jake Howsam Lowe of Plini and The Helix Nebula on the EP Coalesce. The release also includes contributions from members of Intervals and The Omnific, as well as guitarist Andre Nieri. It reaches number 1 on Bandcamp across multiple categories, number 3 on the Australian AIR charts, and number 39 on iTunes Australia.

The Quiet Place Away follows in 2022 as an acoustic album made up of 10 songs written and performed on acoustic guitars. It includes string recordings by Forrester Savell, keys by Ian Peres, and percussion by Stevenson. The artwork is a hand-made diorama by Pat Fox, and the album is mixed and mastered by Forrester Savell. It reaches several number 1 positions on Bandcamp and number 3 on the AIR independent album chart, and it accumulates more than 2.5 million streams. A launch show at Northcote Social Club in Melbourne sells out, and later live performances add drum kit parts from David Parkes.

Later activity

In 2023, I Built The Sky supports Plini across Australia, then tours Australia, the UK and Europe as a headliner. The project also performs at Radar Festival, Brutal Assault, Comendatio Festival and NH7 Weekender in India. In 2024, Stevenson writes material for a new album while touring Australia with Haken, headlining The Hills Festival in India, and playing a headline show in Bangalore. He also collaborates with Charlie Robbins on “Fleeting Moments,” which passes 250,000 streams.

By 2025, Stevenson continues to work on a new album and performs internationally.